The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-07-23
TERRIBLE ExJSIOf.
Agricultural Engin fplods 1.-Two
Men Killed and 90 othors
Hu
TT. MI n Wreck.

About 2 O'Clock wednesday news
flew from mouth sar that an agricul-
j. tural boiler on ann of Edward S.
Stroud had explA . ana several men
killed. Hurryio the spot we iound
> a larpe crowd Sathered and that Mr..
stroud and n Jed boy of Wilmington,
were killed Yard Bowen was run
ming the enolt The time of the acct
dent Tn n norning the engine was
ON the farm James L. Foard, tenanted
bv Nelson lden, where they had been
thsesbino ce Monday or Tuesday.
About 10 ,)ck the engine and thresher
was moy, ) the farm of Mr. Stroud and
the boilcias filled with water before
dinner Ter dinner fire was made in
the boi; the water guage standing
about l. full. About 1880 steam regis
tered 10 pounds and threshing had
comm ed Mr.. Bowen had just look
ed at water guagc and also the steam
euae4nd passed to one side of the boil
err vn the explosion occurred. Re-
ma ,ble to say he was not hurt. The
70, of ihe explosion threw the boiler
FIJI ninety feet forward, striking Mr..
sud and the colored boy, killing both
tantly, also scalding Frank Stroud and
,uis Pritchard of Wilmington These
70 men are not dangerously injured.
)ne of of the wheels Of the engine strik-
ng horse standing hitched to rail,
killed it instantly. Part Of the boiler
was blown fully one hundred and fifty
feet away The .orcc was terrific. A
wagon standing close beside the boiler
was blown considerable distance away
The tongue was driven Il great distance
in the earth.
The boiler in its course must have
struck Mr. Stroud with full force, There
was two or three cuts on the scalp While
the ribs were nearly all fractured Death
was instantaneous. The eolored boy
was struck with some sharp instrumentf
ut the base Of the brain, tearing out 4
piece of the skull about i've inches squard
and there was a hole in the brain. DEATH
must have been instantaneors-
The machine had only been running
about ten minutes. As soon as tho acct
dent occurred, Coroner Litzenberg of
Elkton. was sent for and on arriving
the following jury. Thomas
Bremen, foreman DIR. G.. Il. Morrow,
W. W. Burkley, Edward Taylor, John
Simpson, James I. Sterling, John Frazer,
Nelson Boulder, Robert J.. Boulder,
Rufus Oldham, VIM. Smith, DIR. Howard
Bratton
There were several witnesses examined
and from their testimony there was
to show that the boiler was not
all right as far as they knew. Edward
Bowen, the engineer, testified that the
boiler was in good condition as far as
he knew. 1t had only been away
from the shop about a week, when it was
safe to run. I'll the wit
nesses examined testified that there was
plenty of water in the boiler, and did
not think the explosion was caused by
the crown sheet not being covered with
water The wrecked boiler was exam
ined and there is nothing to show, us far
as could be seen, to cause the explosion.
The jury after consulting adjourned to
meet on Thursday at Elkton.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
The jury reassembled at $50 o'clock on
Thursday morning and examined George
McQuilkin. lie thought too high pres
sure was the cause, as the crown shee
showed weakness. The verdict is. ave
found that the said Edward Stroud anC
Walter II. Crawford, colosed, came to thci
deaths by being killed by an explosion
of a boiler of threshing machine own
ed and run by Edward Bowen, and eX
omerate the said Edward Bowen from al
blame. We recommend to the Legisla
ture that law be passed requiring al
boilers to be thoroughly inspected ono
every year and that all persons runnin
or in charge of any machine be require
to take out license, said license to b
given only after a thorough and satisiac
tory examinations as to said person
qualifications as Il competent engineer
Hundreds Of persons visited the seen
of death and destruction, Deep sympa
thy is felt for Mrs Stroud and the chi
dren of the decor ed 1t is IL sad calam
ty to befall family and the entire con
munity expressed sympathy that sue
an accident occurred. Mr.. Stroud wa
about Sc years of age, and was h"r
working industrious farmer.